


Wait For It

by A_Spoonful_Of_Salt



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Abandonment, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Introspection, Self-poofing, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:41:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21814585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Spoonful_Of_Salt/pseuds/A_Spoonful_Of_Salt
Summary: Introspection on Spinel's 6,000 years alone.These are very short chapters. Just a warning.
Relationships: Pink Diamond & Spinel (Steven Universe)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 46





	1. Chapter 1

Spinel new Pink was feeling off. She had known since the call from the other diamonds. And as Pink's best friend, it was her job to cheer Pink up.

Spinel tried everything she could. Juggling, funny faces, dancing, jokes, tag- nothing- none of it worked. Every once in a while, Pink would give Spinel a strained smile, but that was it.

Spinel frowned, rubbing at her gem uncomfortably, and thinking deeply. Her forehead creased in concentration.

Alas, she was not made for thinking up detailed plans. So she defaulted to her original method. 

Distract Pink until she stopped feeling whatever negative emotion she was feeling.

"Pink!" She called, tugging on her Diamond's hand a bit too desperately, "Play with me!" She bat her eyelashes, beaming up at her friend.

Pink sighed, long and suffering, causing Spinel's excitement to dwindle, but only a teeny tiny bit.

"Okay," Pink said finally, a small, tired smile on her face. "Let's play a game, Spinel." She knelt on the ground in front of Spinel, graceful as always.

Spinel hopped on the balls of her feet, bubbling with energy.

"This game will require complete and utter concentration, do you understand?"

Spinel nodded so quickly that her head spun.

"I want you to stand here." Pink spoke, touching Spinel on her nose, "I want you to stand here and not move until I come back, okay?"

Spinel nodded once more. "Oh, this is gonna be so much fun!"

Pink's smile widened, and Spinel's gem practically glowed in happiness. Pink stood up. "When I get back, and if you're still standing there, we'll go and play on my new planet. Sound good?"

Spinel gave her a big thumbs up. Pink nodded and turned away.

"See you soon!" Spinel called out as Pink made it to the galaxy warp.

Pink did not turn back, and the only response was the sound of the warp as Pink disappeared in a beam of blue light.


	2. Day 365,000

Pink had been gone for one thousand years.

Spinel blinked as she realized.

She glanced down at her clasped hands and felt a stiffness in her joints that she had never felt before.

It was like she blinked and suddenly she had caught up to the rest of time.

She let her eyes roam around the garden, taking in the over grown flora. 

Where was Pink?

This game was longer than she had expected.

Spinel had watched the patterns of the stars change over and over again as the garden drifted slowly through space. And yet Pink had yet to return.

Had something happened on Homeworld? Maybe some trouble on Pink's new colony?

She was sure to come back any day now, right? 

A butterfly fluttered over Spinel's head.

Of course Pink was coming back. Then she would see how amazing Spinel was at the waiting game and they would go play on Earth like Pink promised.

Spinel resisted the urge to shift in place. Refrained from dusting off her gem. 

She would win. She had to.


	3. Day 1,825,000

Spinel felt uncomfortable, even as she hummed a happy little tune to herself.

She felt like she was fading, her color being leeched out by the aging garden. Vines twisted around her ankles, creeped up her legs.

Her hair was rumpled, gem hazed over with disuse.

Spinel was bored. And lonely.

There was a sadness that seemed to manifest in her physical form, reaching its way deep into her gem.

Spinel hummed louder, trying to fill the void of silence around her.

Did Pink forget? About her?

No, that can't be.

Maybe... maybe Spinel was doing something wrong?

Was humming against the rules?

Was that why Pink hadn't come back yet?

Spinel let her song die in her throat.

 _Sorry_ , she thought to Pink in her head, she wouldn't hum anymore, especially if it was against the rules. She just wanted to be done with the game now.

It didn't matter if they went to Earth anymore, Spinel just wanted her Diamond back.

She didn't want this crushing, aching loneliness anymore.

And above her, the stars burned steady, her only company.


	4. Day 2,136,000 (Year 6,000)

Spinel was exhausted.

The feeling spread throughout her, hollowing out her physical form and taking root in a space in her gem next to the fading candle of hope that Pink will come back.

She blinked slowly, the weight of her eyelids almost too much.

 _What_ _am_ _I_ _doing here?_ She asked herself, not for the first time.

How much longer was she meant to wait?

Her feet hurt. Her legs, her arms, everything.

The garden was dying. Running out of water, drying and crumbling around her feet.

The life forms Pink used to care for were already dead.

There were no more butterflies flitting around in the air. No more clicking beetles. No more buzzing from the bees.

Spinel's hands ached from clasping so tightly together.

But she had to wait. Pink would come back... any moment now...

Spinel sighed.

Suddenly, there was a crackle to her left.

The sound of an age worn communication device.

Spinel whipped her head around, fast enough to make her dizzy.

White Diamond's face filled the screen and Spinel felt her hope shrivel. She tore her feet from the ground, feeling the give of the vines against her legs as she ran toward the screen.

Pink was gone.

She had left, thousands of years ago. Faked her death, started a rebellion, started a new family and... And left her here.

Left her on a floating rock in the middle of space to become some kind of hybrid _thing_.

Spinel felt her legs give out from under her. Hot tears streamed down her face as she doubled over and _screamed_.

She had promised.

_She promised!_

Spinel sobbed into the ground, chest heaving unnecessarily.

What was she meant to do now?

All of it- all the years she spent alone were for nothing.

Had she not been good enough? She had tried, she really did.

Spinel hurt.

Hurt like she never expected to before.

She wanted that pain to stop.

Desperately, she clawed at her chest, digging into the area surrounding her gem.

She dug her fingers in viciously, crying out as she ripped the gem from herself.

For a moment, it was like she was seeing herself from an outsider's view. A haggard face, deep bags under her eyes, hair tangled and unkempt.

 _I look crazy_ , she thought for a brief second.

Her vision was over taken by white.


End file.
